Broadway Beyond Louisville Review: PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL at The Aronoff CenterOctober 21, 2021The cast is led by relative newcomer Olivia Valli as Vivian. This show is her first leading role having been an ensemble player in various companies over the last few years. I cannot overstate how perfect Valli is in the role. Vocally she's stunning, but what makes this combination of performer and role such a match made in heaven is the fact that Valli brings an unmatched level of charm, wit, spunk, and grit to the role.
BWW Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN at The Kentucky Center For Performing ArtsOctober 4, 2019Dear Evan Hansen is the oh so rare example of a truly original musical. In a world where musicals based on movies are becoming the rule and not the exception, it's refreshing and almost unheard of for a completely original musical to succeed as it has. The show had a long gestation period that included workshops and pre-Broadway tryouts, but when it finally made it to Broadway in late 2016, the buzz surrounding it made it a hit before it even opened. It would go on to win a slew of awards including Best Musical at that year's Tonys, and now as the tour is entering it's second year on the road, Louisville is finally getting a taste of this runaway hit with a week long run at the Kentucky Center.
BWW Review: COME FROM AWAY at Aronoff CenterSeptember 23, 2019On September 11th, 2001 the world stopped as two planes collided into The World Trade Center. All eyes were on America in the wake of this unparalleled tragedy. All the while, planes bound for the United States were grounded in a small Newfoundland town called Gander.
BWW Review: HELLO, DOLLY! at Kentucky Center For The ArtsMay 15, 2019Hello, Dolly! is a true american classic, and is treated by some as the perfect musical comedy. Like many associate Ethel Merman with Gypsy or Anything Goes, the hand prints of the late great Carol Channing are forever integrated into Hello, Dolly's legacy. In 2017 it was announced that the show would return to Broadway starring none other than Bette Midler, a worthy successor to Carol Channing. In the Broadway run of this Tony Award winning revival audiences were treated to performances from such greats as Bernadette Peters and Donna Murphy. The trend of star power associated with this revival continues ten-fold with the one and only Broadway legend Betty Buckley taking her turn in the iconic red feathers.